Wisconsin center of Republican wave - WXOW News 19 La Crosse, WI – News, Weather and Sports |

By SCOTT BAUER and BRIAN BAKST
Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin Republicans seem to have it all. With native son Paul Ryan in the spotlight as Mitt Romney's running mate and Gov. Scott Walker a national conservative hero after surviving a recall vote, Republicans are focusing on defeating President Barack Obama. But it won't be easy. Wisconsin hasn't voted for a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.

Still, the fact that the goal is even plausible shows how much Wisconsin's politics have changed in the few years since nominee John McCain was blown out here in 2008. With the state's economy suffering, Republicans have advanced by emphasizing plans to make government less costly. Wisconsin Democrats say the GOP's gains will be short-lived when their promises of prosperity aren't fulfilled.

Polls show Obama with a slight lead over Romney in Wisconsin